Tammy Algood: Asparagus is at its tender best

Apr. 30, 2013

Asparagus is best in spring. / file / the tennessean

Written by

Tammy Algood

For The Tennessean

You Asked For It

Melanie Anderson of Nashville is a fan of cooking extra at meals for putting in the freezer. She wants to know what types of recipes can be easily doubled.Melanie, recipes for dips, spreads, salads, dressings, most sauces, sherbets, ice creams, stir-fries, stews and soups can easily be doubled. Do not double recipes for fragile cakes and pastries, soufflés and baked goods because you’ll tend to overmix and risk ruining the recipe.

More

ADVERTISEMENT

Slender green spears seem to stalk me everywhere I go and I’m thrilled about it. Fresh asparagus never tastes better than it does right now when it’s finally reasonably priced and in season. I have been working this delicately flavored vegetable into meals in many creative ways and can’t seem to get my fill of it.

Look for firm, bright-green spears that have tightly closed tips. Any other time of the year, I gravitate toward whisper thin stalks because they are so tender, but now it really doesn’t matter. The main thing you need to do is select ones that are similar in thickness so they cook uniformly. Depending on the thickness, you’ll have between 14 and 20 spears per pound, which will give you about 2 cups chopped.

Store them correctly and you’ll double the shelf life, so think of a bouquet of flowers. Store unwashed stalks in the refrigerator, upright in a tall, heavy glass with a couple of inches of water. Then cover them loosely with a plastic bag and change the water daily. This should keep them fresh for nearly a week thanks to the humidity you are trapping underneath the plastic bag.

You would never know it from the flavor, but asparagus is a distant relative of onions, leeks and garlic. It is grown for at least two full years before it is ready to harvest. It begins with what are called crowns, which are tangles of dormant roots, and likes sun-drenched areas of the garden.

Asparagus can be eaten raw, boiled, poached, blanched, steamed, stir-fried, grilled and microwaved, but I like it best roasted. No matter how you prepare it, make sure you don’t overcook it. Check for doneness by piercing the base with the point of a paring knife. It should meet with a tiny bit of resistance. Salt, pepper and butter are the only embellishments needed.